Chuck Sweeny: Freeport’s Jim Gitz makes a new push for U.S. 20

Freeport’s new (and old) Mayor Jim Gitz has a dream, “that the highway designated the most dangerous in the country by the Saturday Evening Post when I was a kid, will be a four-lane reality before I’m too old to drive.”

Freeport’s new (and old) Mayor Jim Gitz has a dream, “that the highway designated the most dangerous in the country by the Saturday Evening Post when I was a kid, will be a four-lane reality before I’m too old to drive.”

Planning for a four-lane, divided U.S. 20 began in 1937, at the old state highway department. Then World War II intervened and the project was shelved, except for the Belvidere to Freeport portion, which was made a four-lane in the 1960s. More recently the Freeport bypass has been completed.

I’ve destroyed countless trees writing about making the 47-mile, two-lane portion of U.S. 20 from the Freeport bypass to just past Galena into a four-lane, divided highway. In the 1990s, the government provided planning money, a series of public meetings was held and a route was picked called “Glacier Shadow Pass.” A dreamy name, sure. But dreams alone don’t plow dirt and pour concrete.

The newly elected Gitz, who was mayor for eight years preceding George Gaulrapp’s eight-year tenure, is putting the road at the top of his agenda, because Stephenson and Jo Daviess counties need the four-lane to spur economic development.

“Our economic opportunity will be enhanced if we have a modern highway all the way to Dubuque,” Gitz said, noting that U.S. 20 is four lanes most of the way to Omaha.

“Completing the corridor to Dubuque from Freeport will be huge in terms of our ability to attract business, industry, warehousing and transport-related companies,” he said.

Although the last estimate I saw for building the 47 miles of new road was $1 billion, it probably will be more because, well, you know how government projects are. But Gitz is adamant that advocates must become active, and quickly.

U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, supports U.S. 20, too, although she says that without a five-year surface transportation bill, it’s difficult to prioritize road projects across the country.

“I am a strong supporter of expanding and modernizing U.S. 20 because it will not only lead to local job creation but it will pave the way for further economic development across our district into the future. I will push for a robust, five-year highway bill to help make sure our region’s infrastructure needs get met,” Bustos said in a statement.

Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey has backed U.S. 20 improvement for years, and still does, but in all probability, “it’s only going to be done through tolling.” Morrissey suggested that northwestern Illinois leaders form “a united front to approach the Tollway Authority to ask them if they’d be interested in considering such a project.”

“There may be opportunities with advances in technology, such as variable rate tolling, where you could charge more on the weekends when tourists come through.” Morrissey said.

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Both Morrissey and Gitz also expressed support for improving the CN rail line through the region, believing road and rail are both important to future economic development.